


All Talk, No Truth

by Fernajen



Category: Star Wars: Rebels
Genre: Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Mentions of heavy topics
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-19
Updated: 2018-08-19
Packaged: 2019-06-29 20:28:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 986
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15736776
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fernajen/pseuds/Fernajen
Summary: Hera has to deal with the fallout of other people's speculations on her pregnancy over ten years ago. Now, she has to walk the fine line of chastising Jacen for punching another kid and comforting him.





	All Talk, No Truth

Hera was giving the Ghost a tune up when Chopper started warbling at her. "Alright, alright, just give me a moment."

"Wha wa wha."

“What do you mean it's from the school?" 

"Waa."

"Alright, I’m coming. Patch it in."

Chopper projected the image of Jacen's principal. 

"Ah, Ms. Syndulla," He wrung his hands, "I'm sorry to bother you, but it's about your son-"

"Okay."

"He got in fight."

Hera pressed her hand into her face. She tried not to let her imagination show all the trouble a ten year old boy might get into. "Is he alright?"

"He seems to be, other than a busted lip. We had the nurse look over both boys."

Hera nodded. "What happened?" 

The principal eyed the wall,  looking as though he was unsure how she would react. "He attacked the other boy. Though, from what others have said, it wasn't without provocation."

Hera half sighed, half growled. She was going to kill him when they got home.

“Apparently the other boy said some nasty things about Jacen’s father." 

She nodded. "I take it you need me to take him home?"

 

About a half hour later, Hera found her son sitting outside the principal's office. Jacen's lower lip was busted open, with a small bruise pooling around the injury. Another boy was sitting next to him, nursing a busted lip and a large bruise that encompassed the whole of his cheek. From the looks of it, Jacen gave better than he got. When he saw her, Jacen flashed a smile as he ran his fingers through his hair. She leveled him with a flat stare. 

"Your father used to give me that look too." Hera put her hands on her hips.

Triumph flashed in his eyes.

"I never said it  _ worked _ ."

Instead of looking chastened, he clapped both hands together and looked gloatingly at the other boy. 

"You  _ do _ know you're in trouble, right?"

Jacen nodded, looking completely unrepentant. 

"Come." Hera huffed and walked into the principal’s office for what proved to be a long, unenlightening conversion.

She waited until they were both in the Phantom II before rounding on him. "What were you thinking! I've- You know better."

"He started it!" He squeaked. 

"That's not what I heard."

"He said Dad wasn't my dad."

"What?" Hera gave him an exasperated look. Jacen was an illegitimate child, and his father had died before he was born. He knew this. Maybe- "You were bragging?"

"I wasn't bragging!"

"Okay." Hera tilted her head and motioned with one of her hands.

"Teacher told us to talk about our dads." Jacen bit his lip.

“And?”

"He said my dad was an imp."

“Jacen, I’m pretty sure beating up a stormtrooper and stealing his armor doesn’t count.” Hera said glibly, as she forced herself to keep a straight face.  It was laughable on so many levels. Between the Empire’s policy of murdering Jedi and Kanan hatred for military protocol…. Well, the end result would have probably looked more like one of his infiltration jobs than him joining up. 

Jacen stared at her dumbly. 

“Come on,” She said hoping Jacen would get the message that the taunt was completely ridiculous. “I’ve told you those stories.”

“Mom, that’s not-” He seemed to struggle with himself for a moment. “Dad can’t be an-”

"Imp? Lucky for you they were never my type."   

"You don't understand." Jacen ran his hand through his hair. He looked so agitated that Hera was worried that he might start pulling on it.

"Oh, I understand perfectly. Your pride was hurt so you-"

"He said that while you were in Imperial custody that..."  

_ Oh.  _ "I- I get the idea." She tried not  to imagine any of the stormtroopers suddenly stripping off their armor to- She cringed. Thank the Force nothing like even came close to happening.

"He said that you picked dad as a pretend parent to hide what happened."

"...Your father would've been happy to take credit for you either way."

"Huh?"

"Sorry," Hera grimaced. "Just thinking out loud."

Jacen sulked. "He said that you traded favors for a reprieve from torture. Which is why you didn't lose me."

"He thought my interrogator was your father."

Jacen nodded. 

Hera snorted with a chuckle.

"Mom, this is serious!"

She took a deep breath. "I'm sorry." She tried to keep a straight face. "I take it he doesn't know that Governor Pryce was a woman? She couldn't have impregnated me even if she'd wanted to."

"He seemed to think it had been Thrawn. Or-"

Hera cut across him. "Well, if it makes you feel better, the few times I saw Thrawn his pants remained on." Hera forced herself to keep a straight face; it was difficult to imagine Thrawn with a sex drive. Jacen didn't need to know that.

"But-"

"Jacen, Thrawn looked like a mutated Pantorain. He was blue. Your skin almost looks human."

"But Clarent-"

"Was trying to make you mad. And clearly has never seen a holo of Thrawn." Hera suspected this Clarent was just parroting his parents. To bad confronting those slemos would just confirm it in their heads. But Jacen didn't need to know that either.

“What about the stormtroopers?”

Hera played dumb. “What about them?” 

Jacen turned crimson as his fingers found their way into his hair, again. “Uh- Well you know.”

“Do I?” As soon as the words left her mouth she realized she was imitating Kanan.

Jacen cringed. “It just-”

“Jacen.” Hera said softly. “Nothing like  _ that _ happened to me. I promise.”

Jacen hung his head.

“That being said, looking back I’m amazed I didn’t lose you.”

“Did you- Did you worry then?”

“I didn’t know you there yet.”

Jacen tried to hide his disappointment.

“But I think your dad knew.”

He brightened. “Really?”

“Really.” 

Jacen scrunched his face up, Kanan’s features loudly called for attention on the young boy’s face."I'm still in trouble, aren't I?" 

"Yep."  


End file.
